The subject matter herein relates generally to connector systems, and more specifically to connector systems that provide connector position assurance.
In some connector systems, a coupling mechanism is used when a first connector is mated to a second connector to secure the first and second connectors together. The first and second connectors are secured together to ensure that the connector system can withstand forces that would tend to pull the connectors apart and break the conductive pathway that is formed between the connectors when mated to each other. In some embodiments, the coupling mechanism is defined by a latch on one connector that engages a catch of a mating connector when the two connectors are fully mated.
Ensuring that the mated connectors in a respective connector system are fully mated to one another may avoid operating errors due to breaks in the conductive pathway that occur when the connectors are not fully mated to each other. The connector system may be used in a complex manufactured product, such as an automobile. If the connectors in the connector system are not fully mated to each other during assembly of the automobile, an eventual error caused by the break in the conductive pathway may be difficult to discover and/or remedy. For example, it may be difficult to identify and access a faulty connection between two connectors in the automobile that includes hundreds or thousands of connections.
Due to physical characteristics such as small size and shielded conductors, it may be difficult for a worker (or even a machine) to accurately recognize whether two mating connectors are fully mated together at an assembly facility. For example, two connectors that are not fully mated to each other may only be a few millimeters off from the fully mated positions of the connectors, which may be difficult for the worker and/or the machine to identify. A need remains for a connector system that provides assurance that two connectors are fully mated to each other in order to avoid errors caused by breaks in the conductive pathway defined by the connectors.